Comment

i've had similar experiences, utlizing basic taiji principles against grappling. i'm by no means very good at taiji at all, but my short time in it really improved my sprawling and other defenses against take downs. back in college when i did taiji i had plenty of opportunities for semi-friendly matches with wrestlers. it was funny how well i fared seeing as how my ground game was (and is) lacking. some of them would get pissed off after a while of me just standing there with my feet planted, i would just sink and turn.....'gawd dammit you faggot, do sumpthin you piece of shit!!' one actually yelled at me. okay, so that's just a parlor trick really...my taiji training really didn't offer anything aggressive, so i was kind of at a loss as to what to do after that. however, i could see the use of integrating those sorts of principles into a more complete regimen. then again, i've met purely-trained taiji guys who were perfectly competent.

and....shuai jiao sounds like fun....how many gongfu tournements have this?

Comment

it was funny how well i fared seeing as how my ground game was (and is) lacking. some of them would get pissed off after a while of me just standing there with my feet planted, i would just sink and turn

Ah yes...brute ignorant wrestlers confused by basic physical principles that are of course totally unique to Taiji...Things never change do they?

Normally, I'd say I was grappling, but I was taking down and mounting people, and JFS has kindly informed us that takedowns and being mounted are neither grappling nor anti grappling, so I'm not sure what the fuck I was doing. Maybe schroedinger's sparring, where it's neither grappling nor anti-grappling until somoene observes it and collapses the waveform, and then I RNC a cat to death.----fatherdog

Comment

it was funny how well i fared seeing as how my ground game was (and is) lacking. some of them would get pissed off after a while of me just standing there with my feet planted, i would just sink and turn

You forgot to add "I made sure to only wrestle with those a least 100 lbs lighter then myself, so that I would be sure my principles would be effective. Simple physics right?"

STFU

Comment

Wow, that takedown defense has never, ever occured to me. I better go get some Taiji classes before Grappler's Quest next month. Those Ceasar Gracie guys will never get me on the ground now! (stop laughing, Wastrel).

"I had once talked to Billy Conn, the boxer, about professionals versus amateurs - specifically street fighters. One had always heard rumors of champions being taken out by back-alley fighters. Conn was scornful. "Aw, it's like hitting a girl," he said. "They're nothing."

Comment

umm, i think i was misunderstood......basically, i was trying to say that according to my limited training in taiji and my experiences sparring/grappling others that taiji training is at least interesting and worth looking into. and....the guys that i wrestled around with were close to my weight. the only 'brute, ingorant wrestler' that i encountered was the one mentioned that called me names. and trust me, i got my ass owned about half the time, but they were for fun so i definately don't take those experiences all too seriously.

as for taiji principles, well, maybe you should ask repulsive monkey. i for one have limited experience and knowledge. however, 'principles' are the same across the board, no matter what you train in. its just that most arts tend to state right up front what sort of emphasis will be given. i just thought that some of training methods in taiji, like tuishou, were beneficial (but, in my opinion, incomplete).

anyways, i didn't want my post to be taken as some sort of jab against wrestlers or putting taiji on a pedastal....both ideas aren't all that helpful. but, like repulsive monkey, i didn't want taiji to be thought of as something just for hippies and old people (which, happens to be the bulk of practitioners in america right now, ugghhh).

Comment

Now guys, it is his (paz's) FIRST post. Be nice, or atleast kind. The original post is a good story. A kungfooey dressed guy came down from Idaho to our local Spring karate tourney and did real well. He was very athletic and fast. His ability to change tactics to match his opponent was very high - 'Rhino,' an aggressive explosive fighter was out aggressed, others he faded away from and looked for openings. Once again, it's the fighter...

The local top TC guy joined an Aikido seminar and dumped all their bbs, except the master who creamed him with out effort.

HI to Vargas - long time no see! We'll have to have more pussy hippie peacenik vs baby seal stomper talks soon.

Comment

"some of them would get pissed off after a while of me just standing there with my feet planted"

Bullshit. Im not even gonna bother to speak on this.

I will. Ankle pick.

Normally, I'd say I was grappling, but I was taking down and mounting people, and JFS has kindly informed us that takedowns and being mounted are neither grappling nor anti grappling, so I'm not sure what the fuck I was doing. Maybe schroedinger's sparring, where it's neither grappling nor anti-grappling until somoene observes it and collapses the waveform, and then I RNC a cat to death.----fatherdog

Comment

I have no idae what the rules were. Was there any groundwork involved?
Anyway, if you came out and reprazented, good job. Did you have any other matches?

No groundwork in this one. The rules were 3 points for a full takedown, 2 if you touched a knee or hand to pull it off and 1 if you both went down but you landed on top. No chokes, but you could grab the neck, etc.

This was my only match. I'm pretty certain I could have taken the one other guy who looked like he was in my weight class, but we weren't pitted against each other. Afterwards, he told me that it was just as well, since his first match had completely gassed him.

....shuai jiao sounds like fun....how many gongfu tournements have this?

I don't really know. I think this was the first time that this particular school showed up. You're more likely to see Shuai Jiao combined with San Da (free fighting), but I'm sure it varries from tourn to tourn.

Out of curiosity, who was the Shuai Chiao instructor and what association is the instructor in?

One of the instructors gave me a card after the match. Of course, the mofo was all in Chinese . . . Anyway, here is the Pinyin version and my bestest translation:

RM - Can you get a camera there next time to film all the hot action?
And notify us Toronto/ Toronto area Bullshido members of upcoming tournaments. Merci....

PD, you'll be happy to know that we filmed the entire thing. I'm just waiting for a buddy to convert the whole schmeer to disk so that I can put it up here. I'll keep you posted.

As for T.O tournaments, I will let you guys know when the next one happens.

Hmm, congrats for getting in the ring. Very interesting.. What have your experiences been like against kickboxers?

Thanks. As far as MT guys go, I've only ever really played around with Crimson Tiger. Since I'm much more of an in-fighter, I wound up chasing his big ass around as he tried to stay in kicking range. Along the way, though, he definitely got some good shots in. I'm supposed to join in on an MT class next Friday, so I'll let you know how I fare.